Radio-frequency circuit and communication device

Abstract

A radio-frequency circuit includes a power amplifying circuit configured to amplify a first radio-frequency signal having a first channel bandwidth and a second radio-frequency signal having a second channel bandwidth greater than the first channel bandwidth. The power amplifying circuit is configured to amplify the first radio-frequency signal in an amplifying mode according to an envelope tracking method, and to amplify the second radio-frequency signal in an amplifying mode according to an average power tracking method.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A radio-frequency circuit for supporting a plurality of communication bands, each communication band comprising a plurality of respective channels, the radio-frequency circuit comprising:
 a power amplifying circuit configured to amplify a first radio-frequency signal of a first channel and a second radio-frequency signal of a second channel, a bandwidth of the second channel being greater than a bandwidth of the first channel, 
 wherein the power amplifying circuit is configured to amplify the first radio-frequency signal in an amplifying mode according to an envelope tracking method, and to amplify the second radio-frequency signal in an amplifying mode according to an average power tracking method, 
 wherein the power amplifying circuit comprises a first power amplifier, and 
 wherein the first power amplifier is configured to amplify the first radio-frequency signal and the second radio-frequency signal by time division. 
 
     
     
       2. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 1 , wherein the first radio-frequency signal and the second radio-frequency signal are of a wireless local area network (WLAN). 
     
     
       3. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the power amplifying circuit further comprises a second power amplifier, and 
 the radio-frequency circuit is capable of simultaneously amplifying the first radio-frequency signal and the second radio-frequency signal. 
 
     
     
       4. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a first output terminal through which a radio-frequency signal amplified by the first power amplifier is output; and 
 a second output terminal through which a radio-frequency signal amplified by the second power amplifier is output, wherein 
 the first output terminal and the second output terminal are connected to different antenna elements. 
 
     
     
       5. A radio-frequency circuit, comprising:
 a power amplifying circuit configured to amplify a first radio-frequency signal of a first communication band and a second radio-frequency signal of a second communication band wider than the first communication band, wherein: 
 the power amplifying circuit is configured to amplify the first radio-frequency signal in an amplification mode according to an envelope tracking method, and to amplify the second radio-frequency signal in an amplifying mode according to an average power tracking method, 
 the power amplifying circuit comprises a first power amplifier, and 
 the radio-frequency circuit further comprises:
 a first filter connected to an output terminal of the first power amplifier, and 
 the first filter has a passband that includes a frequency band of the first communication band and a frequency band of the second communication band. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 1 , wherein, when a value indicating an output power of a radio-frequency signal output from the power amplifying circuit is greater than a threshold power, the power amplifying circuit is configured to amplify the first radio-frequency signal in the amplification mode according to the envelope tracking method and to amplify the second radio-frequency signal in the amplifying mode according to the average power tracking method. 
     
     
       7. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the power amplifying circuit includes:
 the first power amplifier configured to amplify the first radio-frequency signal; and 
 a second power amplifier configured to amplify the second radio-frequency signal, the radio-frequency circuit further comprises: 
 a second filter connected to an output terminal of the second power amplifier and having a passband that includes a frequency band of the second communication band, and 
 
 the radio-frequency circuit is capable of simultaneously amplifying the first radio-frequency signal and the second radio-frequency signal. 
 
     
     
       8. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a first output terminal through which a radio-frequency signal amplified by the first power amplifier is output; 
 a second output terminal through which a radio-frequency signal amplified by the second power amplifier is output, wherein 
 the first output terminal and the second output terminal are connected to different antenna elements. 
 
     
     
       9. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first radio-frequency signal is used in a fourth generation mobile communication system (4G), and 
 the second radio-frequency signal is used in a fifth generation communication system (5G). 
 
     
     
       10. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first radio-frequency signal is of any one of the following long term evolution (LTE) bands: Band 28, Band 20, Band 26, Band 8, Band 3, Band 66, Band 39, Band 2, Band 1, or Band 40, and 
 the second radio-frequency signal is of any one of the following new radio (NR) bands: n41, n77, n78, or n79. 
 
     
     
       11. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first radio-frequency signal is used in a fourth generation mobile communication system (4G), and 
 the second radio-frequency signal is used in a wireless local area network (WLAN). 
 
     
     
       12. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 9 , wherein the second radio-frequency signal has a peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) larger than a PAPR of the first radio-frequency signal. 
     
     
       13. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first radio-frequency signal is used in a wireless local area network (WLAN), and 
 the second radio-frequency signal is used in a fifth generation communication system (5G). 
 
     
     
       14. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 1 , wherein the first radio-frequency signal and the second radio-frequency signal are used in a fourth generation mobile communication system (4G). 
     
     
       15. The radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 1 , wherein the first radio-frequency signal and the second radio-frequency signal are used in a fifth generation communication system (5G). 
     
     
       16. A communication device, comprising:
 a signal processing circuit configured to process a radio-frequency signal; and 
 the radio-frequency circuit according to  claim 1  configured to receive the radio-frequency signal processed by the signal processing circuit. 
 
     
     
       17. The communication device according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 the signal processing circuit includes a controller configured to output a control signal for causing the power amplifying circuit to operate in one of the amplification mode according to the envelope tracking method or the amplification mode according to the average power tracking method, based on information indicating which one of the first radio-frequency signal and the second radio-frequency signal is to be input to the radio-frequency circuit, and 
 the communication device further comprises:
 an amplification mode switching circuit disposed between the controller and the power amplifying circuit and configured to switch between supplying a first bias signal and supplying a second bias signal, to the power amplifying circuit, based on the control signal output from the controller, the first bias signal corresponding to the envelope tracking method, the second bias signal corresponding to the average power tracking method.